Jalen Milroe looks right at home with his new head coach! Many players, like him, flocked to Alabama to play under the legendary Nick Saban. Saban’s six national championships with the Crimson Tide were quite a feat. 

However, his surprise retirement in January thrust new head coach Kalen DeBoer into the spotlight, leaving some skeptical about his ability to fill such large shoes. But Milroe, Alabama’s starting quarterback, is already singing DeBoer’s praises. 

In a recent interview on ‘Next Up With Adam Breneman’, Milroe enthusiastically described the transition saying, “It’s been great.” He added how “Everything is a process, and so initially with having him [DeBoer] here…it’s been great for us as a team.” Beyond the team dynamic, Milroe also sees a strong personal connection with DeBoer. “One thing I could speak on with having coach DeBoer here is the personal aspect of it,” he said. DeBoer, known for his offensive expertise, seems to have built a genuine rapport with his key player. “As a quarterback, you know he’s an offensive mind, so I’m able to grow each and every day with him as our head coach,” Milroe noted. 

Now, the positive impact extends beyond tactics. Milroe enjoys DeBoer’s overall approach: “Love being around him. He’s been a great person around me and he speaks belief into me every single day.” DeBoer’s style seems to be pushing Milroe to excel as he “want to play even harder for him and the team.”

It seems Milroe has fully embraced DeBoer’s coaching style. Earlier, he even shared a funny story about how different it is from Saban’s approach.

Jalen Milroe adjusts to DeBoer’s player-friendly coaching

On the ‘Saturday Down South’ this weekend, Jalen Milroe dished out the coaching style differences in the Alabama facility. Under Nick Saban, practices were notoriously intense, filled with years of yelling and pushing players to their limits. Kalen DeBoer, however, brings a much more player-friendly approach. 

Milroe described a spring practice where he “threw a really good ball” and immediately started preparing for the next play. DeBoer, to Milroe’s surprise, asked, “Hey what happened? I thought you run down the field and celebrate!” Milroe, conditioned by Saban’s methods, simply replied, “Coach, I was worried about the next play.” And DeBoer’s response was: “I want you to celebrate, I want you to be excited, that was a really good pass!” Now, this positive reinforcement was a whole new experience for Milroe, who seemed unsure whether to celebrate or focus on the next play.

Even beyond that, DeBoer seemed to have shifted practice times from afternoons to early mornings, giving players more free time for rest and personal lives. It’s clear DeBoer is focused on creating an environment where his players can thrive. Now, it’s up to Milroe & Co. to soak up the wisdom and translate it into wins. If they do, Milroe’s Heisman hopes might just become a reality.